AltCig.com is a relatively new juice-only vendor (not to be confused with AltCigs.com, an older vendor now out of business). The central banner on the AltCig home page proclaims: Premium e-liquid proudly made in the USA by award winning flavorists. Taste the difference. vape happy.
Though Im happy with all six juices I bought during AltCigs Grand Opening sale, I have to admit that I regard their banner copy as nothing more than typical advertising BS. Premium e-liquid? Is that like the FDA designation of super-premium for ice creams with artery-clogging butterfat content? No, its just the same hollow appeal to higher quality upper class lineage that lots of other juice vendors make. Made in USA is certainly meaningful to many vapers, but I dont personally find anything inherently better about juices based on country of origin. And finally, award winning flavorists? Awards? From whom? I must have missed the last gala spectacle of the Flavoring Oscars on TV. Hell, I didnt even know there were awards for flavorists. Its bad enough that Hollywood sees fit to engage in the annual ritual of self-important posturing with red carpets, tuxedos, designer gowns, and long-winded acceptance speeches, but I suppose its inevitable that the vaping industry will succumb to the same narcissistic vanity of awards ceremonies, even if theyre not televised on major network cable and satellite.
If the banner read: AltCig sells only the very best juices we can make, and we think theyre great! that would be---to my way of thinking---accurate advertising. On the other hand, phrases such as premium and award winning are little more than magical invocations of superiority.
Please understand, I have no axe to grind against AltCig. Its just that they are among many vendors who apparently subscribe to the marketing notion that hype is justified to sell products. I know Im swimming against the tide here, but that always rubs me the wrong way.
Enough of my ranting about how things are in the real world. What about AltCig RY4?
specs: The 15ml bottle of AltCig RY4 I purchased is a medium-caramel colored transparent liquid made with a 50/50 PG/VG base at 24mg nic strength. This is a custom, made-to-order juice, so I let it steep for two weeks. Tasting was done by loading the juice into a SmokTech 1.7 ohm Resurrector carto vaped from a Hello 016 battery providing 4.0V unloaded (3.5V loaded) for a real power output of 7.4 watts.
AltCigs description on its RY4 ordering page reads: Rich caramel, vanilla and tobacco vape with complex undertone notes. An enjoyable, slightly sweet tobacco vape. How refreshing! A vendor who actually mentions all three core flavor components of RY4s. As for the complex undertone notes, I can taste their presence in the enriched flavor profile, but I cant identify what those extra individual flavors are. I doubt that many RY4 juice makers use only the Big Three. Seems much more likely that they tweak their recipes with other flavorings to produce what they feel is the most pleasing end result. In this case, the tweaking is fairly substantial.
Do I like AltCig RY4? Yes. Its more custom than classic in flavor profile, but not wildly so. This is not re-inventing the wheel, just an attempt to make it roll better. Please note, however, that to my palate AltCig RY4 is more than just slightly sweet. Granted, its not candy sweet, but it is nonetheless a strongly caramel juice that leans toward sweet with sufficient richness to nudge it into the Dessert category, where the caramel, vanilla, and additional underlying flavors take precedence over the tobacco. Oh, the tobaccos there, but the other flavorings set the tone.
Is AltCig RY4 distinctive? To some extent, but not remarkably so. Its definitely not your typical generic RY4, but its also not provocative or revolutionary. If this were politics rather than vaping, AltCig RY4 would be liberal or perhaps even progressive, but not radical. The complex undertone notes make it different enough to stand out from the herd.
I can easily recommend AltCig RY4. Its a tasty juice that provides a satisfying vape---even if its not award-winning. LOL.
Category Groups: Dessert, Caramel Rich
Link: AltCig RY4
Though Im happy with all six juices I bought during AltCigs Grand Opening sale, I have to admit that I regard their banner copy as nothing more than typical advertising BS. Premium e-liquid? Is that like the FDA designation of super-premium for ice creams with artery-clogging butterfat content? No, its just the same hollow appeal to higher quality upper class lineage that lots of other juice vendors make. Made in USA is certainly meaningful to many vapers, but I dont personally find anything inherently better about juices based on country of origin. And finally, award winning flavorists? Awards? From whom? I must have missed the last gala spectacle of the Flavoring Oscars on TV. Hell, I didnt even know there were awards for flavorists. Its bad enough that Hollywood sees fit to engage in the annual ritual of self-important posturing with red carpets, tuxedos, designer gowns, and long-winded acceptance speeches, but I suppose its inevitable that the vaping industry will succumb to the same narcissistic vanity of awards ceremonies, even if theyre not televised on major network cable and satellite.
If the banner read: AltCig sells only the very best juices we can make, and we think theyre great! that would be---to my way of thinking---accurate advertising. On the other hand, phrases such as premium and award winning are little more than magical invocations of superiority.
Please understand, I have no axe to grind against AltCig. Its just that they are among many vendors who apparently subscribe to the marketing notion that hype is justified to sell products. I know Im swimming against the tide here, but that always rubs me the wrong way.
Enough of my ranting about how things are in the real world. What about AltCig RY4?
specs: The 15ml bottle of AltCig RY4 I purchased is a medium-caramel colored transparent liquid made with a 50/50 PG/VG base at 24mg nic strength. This is a custom, made-to-order juice, so I let it steep for two weeks. Tasting was done by loading the juice into a SmokTech 1.7 ohm Resurrector carto vaped from a Hello 016 battery providing 4.0V unloaded (3.5V loaded) for a real power output of 7.4 watts.
AltCigs description on its RY4 ordering page reads: Rich caramel, vanilla and tobacco vape with complex undertone notes. An enjoyable, slightly sweet tobacco vape. How refreshing! A vendor who actually mentions all three core flavor components of RY4s. As for the complex undertone notes, I can taste their presence in the enriched flavor profile, but I cant identify what those extra individual flavors are. I doubt that many RY4 juice makers use only the Big Three. Seems much more likely that they tweak their recipes with other flavorings to produce what they feel is the most pleasing end result. In this case, the tweaking is fairly substantial.
Do I like AltCig RY4? Yes. Its more custom than classic in flavor profile, but not wildly so. This is not re-inventing the wheel, just an attempt to make it roll better. Please note, however, that to my palate AltCig RY4 is more than just slightly sweet. Granted, its not candy sweet, but it is nonetheless a strongly caramel juice that leans toward sweet with sufficient richness to nudge it into the Dessert category, where the caramel, vanilla, and additional underlying flavors take precedence over the tobacco. Oh, the tobaccos there, but the other flavorings set the tone.
Is AltCig RY4 distinctive? To some extent, but not remarkably so. Its definitely not your typical generic RY4, but its also not provocative or revolutionary. If this were politics rather than vaping, AltCig RY4 would be liberal or perhaps even progressive, but not radical. The complex undertone notes make it different enough to stand out from the herd.
I can easily recommend AltCig RY4. Its a tasty juice that provides a satisfying vape---even if its not award-winning. LOL.
Category Groups: Dessert, Caramel Rich
Link: AltCig RY4
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